As a household name in black coffee, Americano is the "spiritual sustenance" for busy office workers in every country. At the same time, many friends are curious: why do so many people drink coffee that looks so bitter? In this article, Front Street will talk about the charm of Americano～
In the United States, Americano actually refers to black coffee with a relatively low strength.
It is said that Americano originated during World War II, when American soldiers in Italy could not stand the intensity of espresso, so they diluted it with water to suit their own taste. In the United States, drinking coffee has always been about enjoying it slowly, while at that time Italians drank coffee to quickly replenish caffeine for alertness and then continue working. When American soldiers added water to espresso, they earned the contempt of Italians, who named this cup of coffee "Americano."
Although Americans like rich flavors in food, they prefer light coffee. For example, very sweet pastries are paired with light coffee, and very salty ham croissants are paired with light coffee. Whether for breakfast or lunch, everyone will have a cup of coffee alongside them. Before espresso extraction technology was introduced to the United States, Americans would directly mix ground coffee with water and boil it together, then after brewing they would use a filtering tool to obtain a clean cup of coffee liquid～
After espresso was later introduced, a cup of espresso could be made in a very short time and then diluted with water, making it a favorite among busy office workers. Later, coffee drip machines appeared, making it easy to get a light cup of black coffee at home.
So why is Americano also so popular in other countries?
As a cheap and quickly obtainable black coffee, Americano is popular not only because caffeine keeps you alert, but also because it helps reduce fat (of course, you cannot rely on black coffee alone! It must be paired with exercise) and cut through greasiness. So whether in the morning or at noon, drinking a cup of Americano always makes people feel refreshed and comfortable～
How do you make Americano black coffee?
Authentic Americano uses a double shot extracted from espresso, then diluted with hot water/iced water at a ratio of 1:4-1:8 according to your own taste. Front Street recommends parameters for a double espresso of 20g coffee grounds extracting 40g coffee liquid, then adding 80°C hot water (do not use too high a temperature; excessively hot water will increase the bitterness of the coffee) or a mixture of ice and water.
How do you drink Americano black coffee?
After we get a hot Americano, there is no need to rush to drink it～ When the coffee temperature drops to around 60°C, that is when the coffee's body is most noticeable. If you find it bitter when drinking, you can appropriately add milk or sugar, but once these are added, it can no longer achieve the effect of reducing fat and cutting through greasiness～
Recommended coffee beans suitable for making Americano
Front Street recommends using espresso blend coffee beans to make Americano, because this can more effectively stabilize the flavor performance of Americano.
For example, "FrontStreet Coffee's Front Street Specialty Blend Coffee Beans," blended from Colombian and Brazilian Arabica coffee beans, has flavors of nuts, cocoa, berries, and caramel;
"FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend Coffee Beans" is blended from Colombian and Brazilian Arabica coffee beans with a small amount of Vietnamese Robusta coffee beans, and has flavors of nuts, cocoa, and caramel as well as rich coffee crema;
"FrontStreet Coffee's Basic Blend Coffee Beans" is blended from Brazilian and Yunnan Arabica coffee beans, and has flavors of nuts, plum, and herbs.
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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
